Holyoke native wins St. Patrick's Parade Citizenship Award

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) - The Holyoke Saint Patrick's Parade Committee tapped a Holyoke native to wear the Citizenship Award banner during the parade next March.

The Parade Committee chose a man who was born and raised in Holyoke, and who heads up a Holyoke-based bank that has supported the Parade since it first stepped off 62 years ago.

PeoplesBank president and CEO Douglas Bowen said it was a "huge honor" to receive year's Citizenship Award, and said he accepted it on behalf of PeoplesBank's 250 employees.

"I've been at the bank for a number of years.  Watched the bank grow and watched the parade grow.  And it's just two great institutions in Holyoke whose histories have been intertwined for all these decades,"  Bowen told 22News.

Peoplesbank has sponsored the Holyoke Parade Road Race for all 37 years since  Douglas Bowen's been at the bank.

The 2013 Holyoke Saint Patrick's Parade steps off Sunday, March 17th, Saint Patrick's Day!